Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday called on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters to remain alert and prepared in case a protest call is issued, saying the party would collectively reclaim what he termed Haqiqi Azadi from the country’s present rulers.
Addressing a PTI public gathering in Kohat, Afridi recalled a message from the party’s jailed founder, Imran Khan, who had conveyed from prison that the struggle was one of “freedom or death.” He told supporters that the coming phase of the movement would be decisive.
“This time, if we step out, we will either return wrapped in shrouds or come back having secured freedom,” the chief minister said. He added that Imran Khan had entrusted key decisions — including whether to negotiate with the government or launch protests — to Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
Both leaders are part of the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), which includes the PTI and has nominated them as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate.
Afridi said he had personally met the two leaders and assured them of full cooperation. “Whenever they give a call, you must be ready,” he told party workers, reiterating that the PTI would collectively strive to achieve Haqiqi Azadi.
The chief minister further alleged that state institutions and the incumbent government were united in efforts to sideline the PTI. He also expressed disappointment with the judiciary, claiming that it had failed to address the party’s complaints.